By “Tampa” Earl Burton, Journalist, and Chyrisse Tabone, Photographer – Rock At Night Tampa
When I looked at the schedule this year and saw that 98RockFest, the “annual” (more on this in a minute) conglomeration of the best in rock in Tampa Bay, was in Clearwater, Florida, this year, I was a bit surprised. But I need not have been; 98Rock has traditionally brought an outstanding lineup of bands to wherever they held their yearly show, and 2026 was no different. In the end, it was an excellent night of entertainment at The BayCare Sound in St. Pete for the denizens of new rock.
Same Time…Next Year?
I was in attendance at (then) Amalie Arena for the 15th Annual 98RockFest in 2024, which featured a great lineup of artists. There wasn’t one in 2025, however; WJRR-FM in Orlando, which teams with 98Rock in Tampa for the weekend show, decided (along with 98Rock) to not hold the show in 2025, citing higher-than-normal costs. In 2026, 98Rock had to deal with the problem that Benchmark International Arena (the former Amalie) was hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Thus, after WJRR decided they would hold their “Earthday Birthday” celebration, 98Rock had to find a place to stage the 2026 98RockFest. That elsewhere proved to be The BayCare Sound (more on this in a bit).
Having to drive across the Bay did not seem to dampen the spirits of the 98Rock fans who made their way to Clearwater, however. Even before the opening act took to the stage (there was an enjoyable acoustic set provided by Sleep Theory pre-show), the fans were ready to go on a Friday night. And 98RockFest did not fail to meet expectations as a quintet of major acts took to the BayCare Sound stage for the night’s festivities.
Up first on the stage was the sister act The Pretty Wild, who have come from obscurity to make an impact on the metalcore world. Active since 2022, sisters Jyl and Jude Wylde have slowly built an audience through such songs as “Sleepwalker” and “Button Eyes,” and they brought the thunder to warm up the BayCare Sound crowd. In an abbreviated thirty-minute set, the ladies charmed the gathering while also rocking them harder than most other bands would. I would like to see these ladies go on their own headline tour, because in a short year (they didn’t debut as a live act until Welcome to Rockville in 2025), they have become a force on the scene.
Considering the lineup, seeing the band The Funeral Portrait playing so early in the night-long festival was to be expected. The Georgia rockers have been absolutely killing audiences with their masterpiece album, Greetings from Suffocate City (2024), and they came with an excellent array of tracks from that disc. An interesting opening with the cover of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World” would lead into a powerful set of tracks from the band, topped off by one of the biggest mainstream rock tracks of 2025 in “Dark Thoughts.” I am looking forward to new music from this band; however, more than two years between albums is unfortunately becoming the norm rather than the exception.
Taking it to the Next Level
The crowd was primed for The Pretty Wild and The Funeral Portrait, but they brought it to the next level for the three bands who closed out the night.
The crowd absolutely thundered their approval as Sleep Theory took to the BayCare Sound stage after The Funeral Portrait. Three years ago, the band was unsigned and gigging around the clubs in Memphis, TN. In 2024, Sleep Theory played the “pre-show” at 98RockFest in Tampa. Two years later, the band had graduated to the Main Stage, and they put on a roaring show that brought the crowd to their feet.
Dipping into their reservoir of songs from both their debut EP (Paper Hearts, 2023) and their debut album (Afterglow, 2025), Sleep Theory proved that the way to win over the fans is through connecting with them, either through the acoustic route they had done earlier in the day or through their stunning work as the night settled in Clearwater. From the kickoff of “Fallout” through their closers of “Numb” and “Static,” vocalist Cullen Moore had the 98Rock denizens in the palm of his hand, and they would respond with a standing ovation at the close of the set.
I Prevail would follow up Sleep Theory on the stage, and they have become a staple of shows in the Tampa Bay area. In 2024, they were part of a co-headlining tour with Halestorm, and in 2025, they were a part of the Summer of Loud. In 2026, they once again presented an outstanding set, although there were moments that the loss of “clean” vocalist Brian Burkheiser was notable (Burkheiser has had medical issues since 2024, resulting in his departure in 2025), especially on the tracks that didn’t require Eric Vanlerberghe’s growling vocals.
It all would lead up to the headliners for the night, the Canadian rockers Three Days Grace. One of the legends of the current rock scene, Three Days Grace has found a way to combine two lead vocalists – original vocalist Adam Gontier, who left the band in 2013 and returned in 2024 to join Matt Walst in fronting the band – and improve on the sound of the band. They also paid tribute to both frontmen, with Gontier getting a chance to unleash his voice on “Animal I Have Become” while Walst stepped up and knocked “So-Called Life” out of the BayCare Sound.
It was when Gontier and Walst joined forces that the band was at its best. “Kill Me Fast” and “Mayday,” featuring both men at their peak, were notable moments in the show. The fans in attendance didn’t even bother with the seats provided in the amphitheater, and even the grass was on its feet, as the entirety of 98RockFest concluded with the obvious closing song from Three Days Grace, “Riot.”
The entire lineup for 98RockFest was outstanding, continuing the tradition of excellent shows from the Tampa Bay radio station (OK, except for 2025). While I would personally like to have the show on the Tampa side of the Bay, the trip to Clearwater, and the surroundings of The BayCare Sound, were not an awful way to spend a Friday night. If you have never been to a 98RockFest, what is taking so long? It is an outstanding way to see the best in the new rock world, all in one setting. Start planning for 2027 now!
PHOTO GALLERY
- An ‘Outta Control’ Night: Nonpoint Powers Aggressive Rock Show in Tampa - April 29, 2026
- Class of 2026 for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Cleaning Out the Closet - April 14, 2026
- Chatting with Canadian metal band The Fixer - April 2, 2026
